HISTORYThe Scrap Iron FlotillaMike CarltonWilliam Heinemann, $34.99When Australians look in the rear-vision mirror of history to the Second World War, much of what we see are the horrors and heroics of the conflict in the Asia Pacific. Darwin, Broome, Kokoda, Borneo, Burma – after the fall of Singapore, Australia’s hopes and fears all lay to our immediate north. But we had been at war with Germany for two years before any of that began, when Robert Menzies made the announcement on September 3 at 9.15pm, Sydney time, that, as a consequence of Britain declaring war on Germany after the invasion of Poland, “Australia is also at war”. Lieutenant Commander Rodney Rhoades (left), captain of the Vendetta, with Hector “Hec” Waller, captain of the Stuart and overall commander of The Scrap Iron Flotilla. Less than an hour after Menzies’ broadcast, this British Admiralty telegram was forwarded to all Australian ships: “Commence Hostilities At Once With Germany.”

Source: Libya Today August 19, 2022 06:01 UTC